And Now, Your Final ADC Fest Recap

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All good things must come to an end as they say and with that, here’s the final recap of the 2014 ADC Festival of Art + Craft that wrapped up yesterday in Miami. Once again,  here’s a quick snapshot of the third and final day of the festivities courtesy of ADC content manager, Brett McKenzie. As mentioned below, the big winners for at the actual ADC awards included Stockholm’s Forsman & Bodenfors, which picked up the almighty Black Cube for the Van Damme splits work for Volvo Trucks (full winners list here). Well, for our sake, there’s always next year. Take it away, B.

“The 2014 edition of the ADC Festival of Art + Craft in Advertising and Design is now in the history books, after the third and final day of intriguing workshops and meals, not to mention the finale of the ADC 93rd Annual Awards, the unveiling of Laser Cat and not one but two blowout after parties.
Beginning at sunrise with some beachside yoga and a breakfast open only to ADC Members, Day Three of the Festival featured some of the event’s most popular workshops. Attendees donned aprons and picked up knives and chisels to build guitar frames with Dick Boak, experimented with computer code with Sub Rosa’s Joshua Davis, unleashed imaginations and inhibitions with street artist Kazilla and peered into the unsettlingly bizarre mind if legendary illustrator Gary Baseman.
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The evening’s gala took place at the beautiful New World Center. If you are looking for the full laundry list of Cube winners, visit http://adcglobal.org/adc-93rd-annual-awards-winners-part-two/ but the one sentence version is that the night belonged to Forsman and Bodenfors, Volvo Trucks and Van Damme’s epic splits, whose checked luggage going back home to Sweden will likely be overweight.
Immediately after all the Cubes were handed out, Hungry Castle unveiled it’s much anticipated Laser Cat installment, beaming the personal projects of thousands of creatives onto the walls of the venue.
After Laser Cat’s reveal, Festival attendees danced the night away on the New World Center’s rooftop, and when the lights came on at that venue, they hurried on to a nightclub for several more hours of celebration.
This morning there were a lot of happily comatose Festival attendees, shaking hands and promising to keep in touch, already getting excited for 2015. We hope you’ll join them next year!”
More images after the jump.

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And Now, Your ADC Fest Recap, Part Two

And so, the party continues in Miami at the 2014 ADC Festival of Art + Craft. With day two in the books, we give you yet another snapshot of the event from ADC content manager, Brett McKenzie, The party still sounds pretty fun. Send us a postcard, will ya?

“The second day of the ADC Festival of Art + Craft in Advertising and Design was full of inspiration and creative rejuvenation, from a sunrise yoga session overlooking the Atlantic, all the way to a blowout blast at the famous Bass Museum, where the Design, Illustration, Photography and Print Advertising winners of the ADC 93rd Annual Awards were displayed and awarded.

During the day there were amazing workshops by Mariscal, ADC Young Gun Ivan Cash and architect supreme Clive Wilkinson, as well as the premiere of the new ADC film series InspirADCion, featuring the one and only Lee Clow.

The temperamental South Beach weather forced us to move the award ceremonies indoors, but the intimate setting ended up being ideal for two kickass presentations, one by design legend Mariscal and the other by ADC Hall of Famer George Lois. And afterwards, the (unofficial) party continued poolside at the James Royal Palm Hotel, ensuring plenty of hangovers for Day Three.”
Check out a few images from day 2 after the jump and for a full recap, you can go here.

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Here’s a Quick Recap of ADC Fest Thus Far

Just like last year, we here at the Spy are providing a brief snapshot of the revelry likely taking place at the ADC Festival of Art + Craft, which kicked off in Miami yesterday. Since we’re not there (of course), we’ll let  ADC content manager Brett Mackenzie handle the duties. Take it away, Brett

“So we are knee deep in the second day of the ADC Festival of Art & Craft of Advertising and Design, and part of Day Two  means getting Day One edited.
We’ve just posted the Day One recap on the Festival site right here. http://adcglobal.org/adc-festival-day-one/
But if you really wanted to boil the first day down to its essence, it ended up being all about Hungry Castle and Lionel Richie’s Head (and not just because I got to play Lionel Richie.) https://vimeo.com/91441383.

Day One ended with the 2014 Tomorrow Awards ceremony, poolside at the James Royal Palm Hotel. You can see all five winners here http://adcglobal.org/adc-celebrates-2014-tomorrow-awards-winners”

Seems like fun, we suppose, and who can deny a Lionel Richie likeness. More images the goings-on follow after the jump.

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Boyko Helms Lee Clow-Focused Film and Here Are Some Trailers

 

In case you haven’t heard, the ADC Festival of Art + Craft will be invading Miami Beach from April 7-9 and among the notable events that will take place is the premiere of a new documentary film series from former Ogilvy CCO/VCU Brandcenter director, Rick Boyko, dubbed InspirADCion (don’t shoot the messenger in regards to the title). The first installment in the series, which will premiere April 8, features TBWA\Chiat\Day figurehead, Lee Clow. Sure, his agency’s taken a couple of hits in the last month or so (now reportedly Crate + Barrel loss, too, which spies were hinting at last week), but Clow remains arguably one of the most notable names in the industry and will likely draw a fair amount of ADC Fest attendees to the film (well, we can only assume since we’ll be stuck in NYC). As you’ll see above and below, Clow shares his thoughts and insights on everything from agency namesakes Jay Chiat and Guy Day to Steve Jobs as well as topics like education (after the jump). Guess we’ll just have to wait for the full film to pop up online eventually.

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Op-Ed: Confessions From a SX Virgin

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We will conclude any and all SXSWi 2014 coverage with this final installment from Randall Stone, director of experience innovation at NYC-based brand strategy/design shop, Lippincott. Here’s yet another view from the grounds at the event in case you missed out on the affair. Take it away, sir.

Wow. “South By”, as I quickly learned to refer to it as, was a true experience. And, why shouldn’t it be? It combines intelligence and brilliance with casual unsophistication. It is a dynamic event unlike any other – an intellectual party of sorts – most definitely not a conference, yet way more substantive than drinks with strangers. It uniquely combines relevant and just plain interesting insights, the Austin backdrop and thousands of people who care about what you do.

You don’t “do” SX. It’s too big, too sprawling, too diverse. You experience it. You have to come to Austin, let go, and hand yourself over to friendly people with whom you enjoy talking. You can’t attend. You have to participate. And, isn’t that what any great experience is? A two way encounter of surprise and delight. Our world is not siloed or linear. We like liked-minded people, but none of us are exactly alike.

Despite running on empty, you keep running. And, why not? Inspiring sessions from the most unlikely sources keep you stimulated, unique brand experiences keep you on your toes, food trucks keep you satiated, Lone Star keeps you hydrated and the parties and networking keep you social and awake. At SX, be prepared to be entertained to the point of feeling guilty and to embrace a spirit of sharing, networking and learning unlike any other.

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JWT Toronto Plugs Canadian Film Festival in Zombie-Themed Spot

JWT Toronto worked with director Jonathan Bensimon to create the above zombie-themed spot promoting the Canadian Film Festival, which runs from March 20-22.

The 2:49 effort follows the story of Antoine Zombé, a zombie actor who is an actual zombie and also happens to be Canadian (so he’s a polite zombie). “Canadian Zombie” traces Antoine’s career arc from his early days struggling with auditions — “More zombie, less polite Canadian,” one director tells him — to his success as a movie star (complete with zombie takes on popular hits, like “Raging Zombie,” “Eating Private Bryan,” and “I, Zombie.” It’s a fun, tongue-in-cheek approach to promoting the Canadian Film Festival, where “The films are great” and, like Antoine, “they just happen to be Canadian.” Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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Pair of Moxie Dustins Tracks SXSW Via Customized Site

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A pair of creative lads from Atlanta-based Moxie, both of whom happen to be named Dustin — Dustin Thompson and Dustin Thomas — are documenting all things SXSW with a customized site.

Dustin and Dustin are also tracking their SXSW adventures using the #DXDT hashtag, if you care to follow along on Twitter. If you’re at SXSW, or you just want a fun way to catch up with what’s going, their site is a fun way to keep tabs on the action. They even have a SXSW Google Glass count. As the pair puts it themselves, “It might get weird — so weird you’d swear you were there!”

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Zambezi Creates ‘SXsports Playbook’ to Help Navigate SXSW Events

ZambeziThis year, for the first time ever, there will be a sports component to SXSW in Austin, Texas. To celebrate this, and to help festival goers select from the seemingly endless list of panels, LA-based sports and entertainment creative shop Zambezi created “SXsports Playbook.”

SXsports Playbook is a website where visitors fill out a survey of 12 either/or questions. At the conclusion of the survey, users are “directed to one of five curated panel groupings comprised of a ‘must-see’ sports lineup to suit their individual interests (and maybe even an option to avoid them altogether).” It’s a formula we’ve seen plenty of times before, but this time it just may end up being useful for those caught navigating the labyrinth of events at SXSW. Give it a try for yourself if you’re headed to SXSW, and stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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HUSH Lights Up Venetian to Launch Memory-Storing Tool, Lyve

Brooklyn-based design agency HUSH (who you may remember from their unique way of ringing in 2014) were tasked with launching Lyve, a startup offering a new solution to the problem of information overload, at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. To do this, they transformed two suites in the Venetian Hotel in the heart of Vegas into a completely branded space, complete with “lights, displays, and visuals to showcase Lyve’s unique offering.”

HUSH’s installation was “anchored by a large central screen flanked by a custom designed product display. The screens [showed] a collection of personal images and videos breaking into fragments and transforming into colored lighting illuminating the assortment of tablets, phones, and other devices arrayed on glowing physical pedestals below.” The visuals were designed as a kind of metaphor for Lyve’s collecting, sorting and protecting service.

As HUSH creative partner David Schwarz explains, “Lyve is an elegant solution to a persistent technological problem, and we were happy to help them define this product while introducing it to the wider world. In words, the offering sounds complex, but showing it visually feels simple – so we created a metaphor to discuss how the different technology platforms capture and share content all to one central product.”

While I’m sure you’d have to have been there in person to get the full experience, you can watch HUSH’s CES installation for Lyve in the video above, and be sure to stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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Samsung Fails at CES With Michael Bay Meltdown

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Why brands feel they have to do scripted interviews rather than, you know, actual interviews where people actually think about the question in a mystery. But if you’ve ever been to CES or any other big marketing event, you are familiar with this cringe-worthy experience.

Speaking of cringe-worthy, how does a marketer make a cringe-worthy event even more cringe-worthy? Well if you’re Samsung and you invite Michael Bay to a keynote Q&A and he screws up his TelePrompTer lines, that’s how.

When the Transformers director took the stage along with Samsung America EVP Joe Stinziano, Bay began by saying, “My job as a director is that I get to dream for a living.” He then skipped a line and became flustered. Stinziano, after an uncomfortable period of silence, tried to coach him along but, ultimately, Bay became embarrassed and walked off stage.

And what’s with that girlish leg lift he does when he first comes one stage?

We’ve spoken publicly before and it can be a challenge at times. But as we all know, reading off slides is much more of a disaster waiting to happen than simply responding to questions in an unscripted fashion like a normal human being.

Lesson learned? Save your money on celebrity talent and hire people who have a proven track record of public speaking. That or don’t force them to read crap off a teleprompter.

Harry Mustachio Wants You to Monate Now

More Movember business, this time from San Diego shop i.d.e.a. Not only are they raising money for prostate cancer research in the name of hairy upperlips, but they’ve gone ahead and created an entire character, Harry Mustachio, who asks you to monate money instead of being a stachehole. Clearly, the folks at i.d.e.a like puns, but stachehole does have a certain ring to it. Above, you can watch a short biopic-style dramatic parody on Mustachio.

The goal is to raise $5000, compared to the agency’s $2306 total from last year. To donate and learn more about the crazy life of being a puppet with a mustache, visit the campaign’s website. Below, there’s also a video of Harry Mustachio interviewing people on the street. The clip may be a bit creepy, but Tom Selleck gets a few shout-outs, which is always a good thing.

After the jump, you can watch i.d.e.a.’s 2012 Movember campaign video, which features the “We Need You Mo Than Ever” rethinking of a pop classic. Puns can be bad, but that is well done.

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Beldent, Del Campo Saatchi & Saatchi Stage Experiment ‘Disproving’ Gum-Chewing Stigma

I’m not sure where the “myth” that gum-chewing gives a bad impression comes from, but Beldent and Del Campo Saatchi & Saatchi set out to disprove it in a social experiment called “Almost Identical,” which was conducted October 1st at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Buenos Aires.

The experiment, conducted under the assumption that such a myth exists, employed five pairs of identical twins. Each pair of twins were dressed and presented identically, with the only difference being that one of the twins was chewing gum. Onlookers were then asked a series of questions about their impressions of the twins, ranging from “Which one seems like he has more friends?” to “Which of these bosses would give you a raise?” to “Which one has a better sex life?” The gum-chewing twin received the more positive answer 73% of the time. Beldent would like that to mean that they’ve proven that “chewing gum doesn’t give a bad impression” but, rather, does the opposite. Obviously, that’s extrapolating a bit much from the limited survey, but this is marketing, not social science. I just feel bad for the twins that had to chew gum all day. That must have been hell on their jaws. Credits after the jump. continued…

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#A.I.L – artists in laboratories, episode 46: Free Art and Technology Lab (F.A.T. Lab)

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Today’s guests are Evan Roth, Becky Stern, Geraldine Juárez and Magnus Eriksson from the Free Art and Technology Lab (F.A.T. Lab), a network of artists, engineers, scientists, lawyers, and musicians who are committed to supporting open values and the public domain through the use of emerging open licenses, support for open entrepreneurship, and the admonishment of secrecy, copyright monopolies, and patents continue

#LoveAlwaysWins Reimagines a Better, More Tolerant Sochi Olympics

From NYC-based All Out, this two-minute short film shows what it would look life if a gay Olympic medalist were able to celebrate with her partner in Sochi. Of course, it’s not that simple in Russia, where public displays of homosexuality are banned by the government, and systemic discrimination has prevented gay people from simply feeling like people in their own country. All Out is hoping to change that, at least legally, before the Sochi Games start in February 2014. The organization is asking that people share the video with #LoveAlwaysWins on social media. The goal, as the video shows, is to close the gap between what should be allowed and what is allowed. I wouldn’t bet on it, considering that the Olympics has always struggled to balance the messy mix of politics, human rights, and competition, but at least someone is trying. Credits after the jump.

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Good + Mustache = Goodstache, a TV Drinking Game

Goodstache may very well be the first ever drinking game for charity, although there isn’t a ton of peer-reviewed research on the topic. The rules of the game are easy: donate to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, print out a mustache certificate of your liking (i.e. Burt Reynolds, Ron Swanson, Salvador Dali), place that mustache anywhere on your television screen, and whenever the mustache lines up with a person’s face, take a drink. If you watch a Mad Men marathon, it sounds like a great way to connect with the characters and destroy your liver, all for a good cause.

The idea comes from SF creatives Nate Gagnon, and Stephen Hadinger, freelance copywriter and AKQA creative technologist, respectively, and the website uses a sleek design that would make the Most Interesting Man in the World proud. You can just donate to the cause without drinking, which is still recommended, or you can also just play the game to drink without donating, not recommended. Either way, check out the site and have a Happy Movember.

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Adidas, Dwight Howard Go One-on-One with Manila for ‘Signature Shots’

After all of the recent Derrick Rose Basketball is Everything TV play, let’s not forget that Adidas’ slim basketball holdings do include the mercurial superstar-child, Dwight Howard. TBWA\Singapore and Dwight teamed for a new international spot way east of America, where 180LA handles domestic duty. The Phillipines is thoroughly obsessed with basketball, and Howard’s Houston Rockets recently traveled to Manila for some preseason play and NBA global brand-building. Adidas wisely used the setting for some brand-building of their own. And as a result, here is the one-and-a-half minute intro video for Signature Shots.

Instead of receiving handwritten autographs from Dwight, fans were able to play him one-on-one as a machine captured their movement on the court and translated that into a unique signature that could be printed onto merchandise. I’m all for the riff on standard sit-and-sign celebrity sessions, even if some of the signatures look like seismograph scribbles, but this spot just feels underwhelming. The clip starts off with some promising B-roll footage of Manila and it’s young hoopsters.

However, all of the vibrant colors and sounds of the city are soon replaced by action shots of machines printing the movement signatures and Dwight playing one-on-one. Rather than wash out all of the sensory details with some techno track, Adidas and TBWA would’ve been wiser to let Manila create its own soundtrack. Watching a printer spit out signed memorabilia is just time wasted. There was a missed opportunity here to create a commercial worthy of Manila’s love for basketball. There will be more opportunities in the future, but Adidas will have to wait. Credits after the jump.

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And Thus, Movember Has Begun

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We’re figuring that this just the tip of the iceberg as it’s only day 1 of Movember, the month in which the fellas hide their razors and grow their facial hair in all shapes and sizes (and let’s not forget the ladies have had an increasing presence each year, too) in order to raise awareness (and money) for men’s health issues. We’re sure there will be plenty of agencies chiming in as part of the industry’s annual Movember fundraising competition, but first up to bat is Red Peak Branding, a unit of NYC-based Red Peak Group, whose CEO James Fox sent out a memo this morning regarding his agency’s guidelines for taking part. See below:

“Today is the start of Mo’vember which means the mustache contest is on….
Here is how it works. All competitors must be clean shaven today, or if not today first thing Monday. Joon will be taking pictures today of all the competitors so the judges have a clear before and after shot.
Competitors may grow a mustache, beard, half beard, goatee or whatever until Friday 29th [November] at which point they must convert into a mustache. All competitors must come to the event wearing an appropriate outfit to accompany their mustache (lumberjack, greaser, 1920’s Dandy etc)
 
All the women in the agency who wish to do so will be judges at a special event on the 29th [November]
Competitors will receive points on the following three attributes:
  1. Lustre – How bushy and lustrous is the mustache in question (5 points)
  2. Creativity – How creative is the mustache and outfit (Gentlemen see mustache chart attached for ideas) (5 Points)
  3. Effort – You don’t need a monstrous mustache to win this competition – points will go to the best before and after pics (5 Points)
All those that want to get involved, both judges and competitors will pay $5 on the 29th of [November] and the proceeds will go to the USA Men’s cancer charity”
Is this the standard protocol for all agencies taking part in the Movember battle? Whatever the case, feel free to send over more efforts and if you need grooming suggestions, you can check out a larger version of the top image after the jump.

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It’s Almost That Time to Start Growing Your Movember ‘Stache

It’s that time of year again, the chill is in the air, leaves are falling from the trees, and it’s time to start thinking about what’s doing above your upper lip.

Yes, the month-long event that is Movember is once again almost upon us as participants (here are some agency examples from last year) will start the month clean-shaven and then spend November growing and grooming their moustache, while asking friends and families to donate to men’s health charities.

The above video shows Movember’s new “taking it to the streets” strategy, as well as a penchant for trying to make mustaches seem extreme. I’m not sure what that’s all about, to be honest. But I’m all for people growing mustaches that make them look like 1980s relief pitchers. Other changes involve referring to participants as “Mo Bros” and the coining of the term “Generation Moustache” (I’m pretty sure Generation Moustache already happened, starting in the seventies). Some new initiatives are MOVE, a global initiative to get people to be more physically active; Mo Rated Barbers, “a global network showcasing the best in class barbershops from around the world dedicated to fine grooming, fine moustaches and to changing the face of men’s health”; and the Movember Collection, “a range of limited edition merchandise created by Movember’s very own creative design team, for sale to the Mo community via Movember.com.”

If you’d like to register to participate in Movember, or just want to learn more, you can do so at the official website. I won’t be participating, since I look like I’m about twelve years old when clean-shaven and can’t imagine going a whole month without my beard. Plus I’d be terrified that someone might actually refer to me as a “Mo Bro.”

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Yep, We Need to Throw a Party at Digital DUMBO’s New Outpost

We figured we’d wind things down with a little bit of eye candy courtesy of the folks behind the continuously growing collective that is Digital DUMBO. What started out four years as a way to gather the digital community in said Brooklyn neighborhood has grown into a brand with 13,000 members with new communities in Boston, Dallas, London and Valencia, Spain. Anyhow, in case you didn’t hear, a couple of weeks ago, the Digital DUMBO crew opened the doors to their new community/event space in their native turf dubbed dd:Outpost, which was built in collaboration with Bing and designed by Volvox Labs. Yes, a Cubes episode is certainly in order with this one. Here are some quick  specs for you tech/design folks out there:

  • 200″ projection screen allows for engaging presentations and visuals with a direct connection between the Windows 8 interface, Xbox and Airstream
  • Custom made touchscreen interface allows clients to control lighting, content of the AV system and view Instagram and Twitter feeds in real-time
  • Integrated technologies allow for content to be presented simultaneously across all screens with ease
  • 70 high powered LED strips react to human presence by triggering patterns and surround sound effects using the Kinect for Windows technology
  • Projection mapped wall creates a unique surface for showcasing design work, motion graphics, and the “back channel”

So what is this space being used for exactly? Well, first off, Digital DUMBO co-founder/CEO Andrew Zarick emphasizes that “the space is designed for our community and not a co-working space” although Outpost will “host co-working days.” You can read Zarick’s more detailed description of Outpost here (along with a recent interview here) and if you care to view, we posted a few images of the space after the jump.

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Young Hockey Players Can ‘Storm the Centre’ with Social Media, Skill

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From the very Canadian, but not Canadien, news bureau: Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners and Under Armour are launching a youth hockey contest tomorrow, October 12, called “Storm the Centre.” Two teams of skating youngsters will eventually win a chance to play at the Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I want to spell it center, but it’s for the kids, so I’ll keep it Canadian.

The contest consists of three stages – social media engagement, teamwork, and finally, hockey skills. These sort of pee-wee competitions happen all the time, but adding a social media component is a cool twist from RTO+P, especially in a hockey-crazed country, where presumably, families will claw for the chance to see their kids play on a pro rink. The details of the challenges haven’t been released yet, but you can check team eligibility and sign up here. To all the little Charlie Conways out there, have fun.

Credits after the jump.

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